Video by Matt Egan of the California Student Sustainability Coalition.

Just a note the I Shot Power Shift team will be working to get more footage up.  There is some amazing stuff so stay tuned.

From Matt Stoller at Open Left.

US Transportation Secretary Peters: “Well, there’s about probably some 10 percent to 20 percent of the current spending that is going to projects that really are not transportation, directly transportation-related. Some of that money is being spent on things, as I said earlier, like bike paths or trails.”

Yikes.

Dozens of activists will dump one ton of raw coal on the U.S. Capitol lawn Thursday to protest Republican and Democratic support for billions of dollars in subsidies for coal-to-liquid programs. Representatives of climate and environmental groups will join forces on Thursday, June 14th at 11:00 a.m. in Lower Senate Park on Capitol Hill to call on all Senators who say they oppose global warming to vote against any subsidies for coal-to-liquids programs.

(photo courtesy of BBC from a similar action in London)

Coal-to-liquids will make the climate crisis worse. This transportation fuel made from coal could double the global warming pollution coming from our cars, trucks and planes. Moreover, large-scale use of liquid coal would exacerbate the devastating effects of coal mining, particularly mountaintop-removal mining, felt by communities and ecosystems stretching from Appalachia to the Rocky Mountains. At a time when Americans are demanding action on global warming, coal-to-liquid technology is a giant leap in the wrong direction.

WHAT: Press conference protesting dangerous “coal-to-liquid” legislation and calling on Senate leaders to show leadership on global warming

WHEN: Thursday, June 14 @ 11:00 AM

WHERE: Lower Senate Park, north side of Capitol Building, at the intersection of Louisiana Avenue NW and D

Link to webcast of statement (forward to 1:47.25 for youth statement)

Statement given to commission during the Thursday May 10^th high level discussion with major groups read by Makala and Griffin( the // indicate the part read by Griffin)

Thank you chairperson and distinguished delegates, we are grateful
for the opportunity to be here and contribute to the discussion of
these important issues.

Please stand up if you drink coffee‚ ..stand up if you drink water‚ .if
you like skiing‚ if you like honey‚ if you need food to survive. The
issues at hand are no longer abstract, or restricted by
nationalities. This is personal. Here now today for you and me. We
are looking at the earth we inherited and we are terrified.

// Fossil fuels and nuclear energy are not sustainable. //

We are disturbed that the chair’s text as it stands, which has been
weakened day by day throughout the past 2 weeks, will serve not only
to perpetuate current unsustainable practices, but also to justify
the inertia which limits the creation of the policies we urgently need.

// Fossil fuels and nuclear energy are not sustainable. //

An OPEC representative said yesterday that fossil fuels are the only
energy source that will be here for a longtime and even more
disturbing is that no one corrected him.

We are correcting him now.

// Fossil fuels and nuclear energy are not sustainable. //

What about the sun? The wind ? Indigenous knowledge? Fossil fuels in
fact are the only source that won’t be around for very long. they
took millions of years to be created and we are using them in hundreds.

// Fossil fuels and nuclear energy are not sustainable. //

Developing countries must change their direction to avoid the
technology lock-in of fossil fuels by transitioning quickly to clean
energy sources with the support of developed countries, in ways that
are regionally and culturally appropriate. Developed countries must
also take leadership and initiative to make that transition a
reality. Our lives are being threatened today by the disregard of the
full cycle costs of fossil fuels, from extraction to consumption.

// Fossil fuels and nuclear energy are not sustainable. //

To move from discussion to action, we need time-bound targets, follow-
up mechanisms, and transparency. Within this framework, stakeholders
must be engaged in developing indicator based assessments which go
beyond economic dimensions, addressing social and ethical
perspectives while encouraging proactive visionary community planning.

// Fossil fuels and nuclear energy are not sustainable. //

Governments and civil society should work together to increase
awareness and enhance education for sustainable development at all
levels, with an emphasis on peer-to-peer education. Effective
adaptation to climate change and its impacts will require diverse
solutions including climate vulnerability assessment and regional
disaster preparedness. We strongly encourage governments to take
action towards adaptation as a response to the needs of today, by
involving local communities and major groups in the planning,
decision-making, and implementation.

// Fossil fuels and nuclear energy are not sustainable. //

Our desire to engage in the decisions that affect our lives is being
impeded by the lack of agreed support from the governments. We would
like to thank all of the governments who have upheld their
commitments made in Agenda 21 Chapter 25 to bring youth on their
official delegation.

// Fossil fuels and nuclear energy are not sustainable. //

Albert Einstein said, when the bees disappear humans have 4 years
left. Well‚ the bees are disappearing already. Another warning is
when the youth lose hope. Please don’t make us lose hope today in our
collective present and future.

Once again, we’re here to remind you:

// Fossil fuels and nuclear energy are not sustainable.

Please, don’t turn your backs on us. //

Massey Energy has long been the target of public anger, whether due to it’s long history of union-busting or it’s long history of blowing up Appalachia’s mountain ranges to get at the coal. If you measure by revenue, Massey is currently the fourth-largest coal extraction company in the United States.

This suit comes at a time when Massey is also being sued by the widows of the miners killed in the 2006 fire at Massey’s Aracoma mine for safety violations (read this article). The Wheeling-Pittsburg Steel Company has a multi-million dollar suit against Massey for failing to ship enough coal to the steel company (read this article). The Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition is also suing fellow mountaintop removal company Arch Coal for violating the Clean Water Act through dumping the blown up mountain’s rock (“overburden”) into valleys creating valley fills (read this article).

The results of these lawsuits have a great impact to impact how coal is mined in Appalachia. The more expensive coal is to mine, the harder it is for coal to compete with renewable energies.

Beginning Monday and continuing over the next couple of weeks, I will be posting info from LCV’s site about the stances of the announced presidential candidates. All of the info will be presented in a non-partisan fashion. I will feature one candidate a day in alphabetical order by the candidate’s last name.

If you can’t wait for the electoral fun to begin, you can check LCV’s HeatIsOn.org

Check out the latest video message to the presidential candidates asking what’s their plan to cut carbon emissions 80% by 2050. Its from students at St. Mary’s College. Find out more about how YOU can send a video message to the candidates here.

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